1. Wash your dress shirts in a delicates bag.

When you wash your dress shirts a lot, you oftentimes see that you have a fraying collar or cuff. Now, if you wash your dress shirts in a delicates bag, you’ll get a lot more wear out of your shirts because the edges don’t fray as easily. The delicates bag acts a barrier between your shirt and the washing machine and therefore, the edges wear less. Now, don’t stuff your bag through the brim otherwise, your shirts won’t get clean. Add 2-3 shirts maximum per bag.

fold your tshirts or underwear vertically rather than stack it

2. Store your underwear or t-shirts vertically, not horizontally.

It’s easy just to toss your underwear and t-shirts into your drawer flat. However, that way you only see what’s on top. Instead, if you fold your t-shirts or your underwear and put them in vertically, A. you get more to your drawer and B. you see exactly what you have. So when you fold your t-shirt, make sure it’s shorter than the height of your drawer so it’d fit right in there.

hangers facing in one direction and put them in the other way when garment is worn

3. Use your hangers to see what you actually wear and don’t wear.

To start, it could be your shirt hangers or suit hangers, and you have to align them, so all face the same way. Now, whenever you wear something, you simply turn it around and if, after one year, you still have hangers hanging that way, take the clothes out, donate them or give them to someone in need. If you don’t wear them for a year, chances are, they have to go.

Of course, if you have formal attires such as a morning coat, or a tailcoat, maybe a tuxedo, that you don’t wear that often, you should not throw that away. In those cases, make sure those are stored properly for the long term in a clothes bag that protect it from dust.

Spin delicates dry in a salad spinner

4. Dry your fine, delicate sweater in a salad spinner.

If you have fine cashmere sweaters, they must not go into a dryer. Instead, take your hand washed sweater, put it in your salad spinner and then spin it dry. Once you’re done, remove the water. Repeat the cycle, and then take the garment out. Lay it flat on a towel, so it doesn’t stretch while hanging and let it air dry, that way it’ll stay in shape, and you will be able to enjoy your sweaters for years to come.

5. Iron the inside of your shirt placket from the back first and then from the front.

Sometimes, shirt plackets can be quite wrinkly if you just iron them from the front side, they will just remain wrinkly and won’t look as nice. To prevent that, start from the back side first, iron all the way over it and then flip it over and iron just between the buttons. Make sure you use pressing motions especially if you have a check or a striped shirt. Otherwise, you have a placket that is wavy.

6.If you want a new way or some inspiration to wear a garment that you already have, simply go to Instagram and search for hashtags.

For example, you can use #chelseaboots, #navyblazer, or #greyflannel. If you can’t find good inspiration that way, go to google images and type in the words like Chelsea boots, Balmoral boots, or red pants. That way, you’ll find exactly what you want and sometimes, the outfits may not be as sophisticated, but in other times, they really have great combinations that you probably didn’t think of yourself. Another great way to learn how to put together great outfits is by checking out our Gentleman of the golden age eBook, here.

Use candle wax or bar soap to keep zippers smooth and unstuck

7. Fix stuck zippers with either a candle or bar soap.

We all had zippers that are stuck sometimes simply because they’re not smooth enough. Now, there are a number of ways you can change that. First, you can rub some candle wax on the zipper like so. Make sure to cover all parts. If you use a white candle on a dark garment, you may see some wax, simply blow it off. It’s important not to use something dark like graphite because it can actually stain your garments.If you have white pants, you definitely want to use white wax. If you don’t have any candles or tea light, you can also use bar soap. That will have the same effect, and it literally greases the zipper. Basically, you just apply it on one side and then from the other side, and you do that with both sides, get rid of all the residue then you simply zip the zipper.

If you don’t have any candles or tea light, you can also use bar soap. That will have the same effect, and it literally greases the zipper. Basically, you just apply it on one side and then from the other side, and you do that with both sides, get rid of all the residue then you simply zip the zipper.

Hair Spray to treat pen stains before washing them

8. Use rubbing alcohol or a hairspray to remove pen stains.

We’ve all had a pen that has come undone and just created little marks on our shirts. If you find your dress shirts with pen stains, simply use hair spray as a pre-treatment, let it sit for about five minutes and then put it in your regular wash cycle.

9. When you’re traveling, add a dryer sheet or a piece of bar soap to your dirty laundry, so it will always remain fresh.

When you’re travelling for a week or longer, and you have to have your dirty laundry together with your new one in the same suitcase, you really don’t want the smell to take over everything you have therefore, you need a bar soap with fragrance or a dryer sheet and you’ll see everything will come out smelling nice and fresh.

use a paper towel holder on thin hangers to avoid creases in your trousers

10. Use a paper towel holder core to prevent wrinkles in your pants.

If you can’t afford really nice suit hangers with a thick trouser bar and you have to take what you get from the dry cleaner or if you have these kinds of space saving hangers which are quite thin, you may see creases in trousers especially if the fabric is very thin. Simply take a paper towel holder core, cut it open lengthwise, then take your hanger, put in on there and make sure the cut side faces down. If you want, you can use a piece of tape and glue it on there, but the shape you’ll get will prevent your pants from wrinkling because now it’s nice and round.

Astaire with button down collar, ties with dimple and tie bar

11. Add a tie dimple to your ties to create a three-dimensional texture.

That creates visual interest and a tie knot that pops out and makes you look very dapper and debonair. You want the dimple because, without it, it looks limp and lifeless.

12. Avoid drying your dress shirts and other cotton garments at all costs.

If you dry your shirt in a dryer, the interlining will come loose, and it will create ugly bubbles that look very cheap, and you have to get rid of your shirt because you can’t repair that. If you machine wash your shirts, put it in a higher spin circle that way, you’ll get rid more of the water. Once the wash cycle is done, you take the shirt out, you either air dry it on a hanger, and you shake it out or you simply iron it right away, that way, you have no wrinkles because the moist shirt will create a nice steam and all the wrinkles disappear. That being said, it will take longer if you have a weak iron and it will also use more energy.

13. Use a dryer sheet to remove deodorant marks on your shirt.

We’ve all experienced it. You’re in a hurry, you put on deodorant, you put on your shirt, and it’s a little darker and all of a sudden you see these ugly deodorant stains. That’s when you want a dryer sheet. Simply take the dryer sheet and rub on them. Voila! It smells good too.

Now, if you want to get rid of those yellow deodorant stains that settle after several washes, get a bottle of DeoGo. It really helps to get those ugly stains off your shirts and undershirts.

make your shirt damp and iron it if you do not have a steam iron

14. Ironing your shirts wet if you don’t have a steam iron.

We’ve all been in a hotel room where you just have those cheap irons without any steam, and if you try to iron a dress shirt without any kind of steam the wrinkles will not really come out, and it just looks like a shirt that wasn’t properly ironed. In that case, simply take your shirt, make it a little wet, just touch it in spots and put it in a plastic bag, let it sit for about 20 minutes. That way, the moisture is spread out evenly, and you can start ironing it. Because of the heat in the iron, the water will evaporate, create steam, and you’ll get a wrinkle free shirt.

put your shirt inside a sealed plastic bag once moist so it can be evenly wet before ironing

moth balls work but not in an open space

15. Use moth balls the right way.

If you’re a clothes person like me, moths are your number one enemy. Throwing mothballs just in your closet simply is not enough because it cannot create the desired concentration necessary to keep the moths away. Instead, you need a container. It needs to have a lid that closes thoroughly so it’s not airtight, but it basically can help the moth balls to actually work more effectively.

moth balls need a contained space to be effective

Bonus tip:

Making sure moths don’t enter your closet in the first place. Personally, I love vintage clothes, and whenever I find a bargain, I don’t just put it in my closet because even though it might have cost just five bucks, it can ruin my entire wardrobe. Basically, I take the garment, put it in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer. I leave it there for about 24 hours, I take it out, get it to room temperature, and let it sit there until it warms up again. Once it’s warm, I put it back in the freezer, in the plastic bag, and I redo the procedure and take it out after a day. Moths are actually killed by the difference of cold temperature and the room temperature. Once I’ve done that, I can put it safely into my closet and sleep well at night not having to worry about the moths getting holes into my precious clothes.

Do you have any style hack recommendations? Please let us know in the comments section, below.

Summary

Article Name

15 Men's Style Hacks

Description

Convenient and effective style hacks every debonair gentleman should know.

Sir, most of us have given away clothes that we can no longer fit or may have become nonfunctional to our lifestyle or environment. Some of us have been fortunate enough to aquire heirloom items from family and friends. In both cases the items were a cherished addition to the recipient’s wardrobe or accessories. Be it a gift or a rare find from a vintage shop (at a fraction of the original price) the modern day gentleman would consider either a win win situation. If a gentleman has issues with wearing used items that is his prerogative.

Try hanging trousers from the cuff–no fold lines, and it seems to renew the press a bit as well. Incidentally, I must respectfully disagree with Mr. Blanc, for a gentleman would not hesitate to wear something handed down from his father, be it signet ring or a particularly natty overcoat, and this regardless of his wealth. Indeed wealth is utterly unrelated to gentility, as is education for that matter. Courtesy, on the other hand, is its definitive benchmark in the modern age.

I disagree with the idea a gentleman would never purchase or wear vintage or second hand. A discerning gentleman can achieve a very dapper look with quality pre loved garments. Thank you for the 15 style hacks, as always I love and get so much out of your videos.

Greetings, A very useful and instructive set of suggestions! Every time I wear one of my deceased father’s ties, Sir Pendleton shirts, or Oxxford sport coats, wonderful memories come flooding back. I gave my nephew dad’s Church’s shoes since their feet are the same size. Nephew says he receives compliments from both genders when he wears those classic brogues or Monk Straps.

What a load of baloney to say a gent would never wear vintage. The aristrocracy have been wearing hand-me-downs for generations because true style is classica, always understated and seldom dates. When Princess Diana married Charles her father wore a dark green morning coat. It had been worn by his grandfather and father at their weddings. Only the nouveau riche buy new clothes thinking they have made it. True class is never in-your-face.